Calling a cab goes hi-tech

By Asina Pornwasin
Publisher:The Nation - Publication Date: 17-01-2008

Bangkok residents will soon have more ways to call a taxi, without having to walk to the street or wait in lonely places.
Some taxis in the future will be embedded with either a GPS Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or a mobile phone SIM unit that allows people to get the nearest taxi faster with the assistance of taxi cooperatives. The idea was formed as a result of research supported by the Thailand Research Fund.
Viroat Srisurapanon, head of the transport engineering division of the Department of Civil Engineering at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thon Buri and head of the research group said the concept was to utilise three main technologies: base-map software, GPS and Geographic Information System (GIS) and GSM or CDMA mobile networks.
To turn the idea into reality requires system implementation both in the vehicle and at the central office of the taxi cooperatives.
In the vehicle will be a GPS receiver and a terminal equipped with a GSM or CDMA SIM. Both work as a location base feature device to allow the taxi cooperative to know the exact position of every cab in real time, as well as whether that vehicle is available.
In the central office, a base-map software allows staff to see the status of taxis in particular areas. The system could be implemented on top of the existing radio system that has been installed and used separately. It can run in parallel with the existing system.
People would be able to call a taxi from wherever they are through a variety of methods. Rather than waiting for up to 20 or 30 minutes to get a cab, people will be able to get a taxi in a much shorter time. For example, they could call from a taxi kiosk in a shopping or convention centre. They could also call at taxi counters in conference centres, or could make a request via SMS.
All these methods could become available in the near future, once the GPS and mobile network systems are implemented.
Many aspects of technology are involved behind this scenario.
All taxi-calling channels require software that works compliantly with the central office of the cooperatives. Once a request is made, the central office will seek the nearest available taxi for that particular user, and assign the job to it. This will improve waiting time for users.
The concept could provide benefits to both passengers and taxi drivers, and reduce traffic and air pollution in Bangkok. Taxi drivers would no longer need to drive around seeking passengers and that would reduce the number of vehicles on the road, especially during rush hour. Moreover, passengers would not need to go out on the street in rain or scorching sun. There are about 60,000 taxis in Bangkok. On average, one taxi gets about 12 trips per day. One out of every three taxis is driving around without a passenger.
The concept aims to improve security for both taxi drivers and passengers. Since the vehicle is in the eye of a monitoring system, the central office knows the exact location of a cab, its route and destination. If any unexpected events occur, they can be in control immediately. The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) may act as the host for collaboration among the stakeholders, especially the 12 taxi cooperatives. The research is finished and the next step is a pilot project to be established with at least 4,000 taxis.
Chamroon Tangpaisalkit, director of OTP's Transport Safety Bureau, said OTP could be the coordinator for the pilot project.
"We see that the idea could bring us further useful information about traffic flow. The system can calculate the speed of some vehicles in particular areas and analyse it into traffic flow data for particular roads," said Chamroon.

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